Shai Gilgeous-Alexander pointed to Oklahoma City’s focus and balance as the keys behind Monday night’s narrow 128-126 win over Minnesota in Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals.
“Yeah, we did a good job of staying in the moment tonight,” Gilgeous-Alexander said postgame. “We obviously had a bad taste in our mouth from last game, and we just wanted to control the things that we can control.”
The Thunder’s All-NBA guard delivered 40 points, 10 rebounds, and nine assists to help his team take a 3-1 series lead heading back to Oklahoma City.
Gilgeous-Alexander highlighted the growth of his young teammates, praising both Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams for their performances under pressure.
“Chet… affects the game at such a high level,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “We rarely call plays for him. He’s just out there playing off feel and affecting the game… whether it’s making open shots, blocking shots, offensive rebounding, defensive rebounding.”
Williams added 34 points, six threes, and five assists in the win, which Gilgeous-Alexander said showed why the second-year wing earned league-wide recognition this season.
“Yeah, he was special,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “He’s gotten all these awards this year for a good reason, and he proved it tonight.”
Coming off a 42-point Game 3 loss, Oklahoma City dominated most of Game 4, leading for nearly the entire contest and shooting over 50% from the field.
When asked how he rebounded from Saturday’s loss individually, Gilgeous-Alexander said he “tried to get lost in the game.”
“I tried not to worry too much about scoring or making plays or whatever it was. I tried to just lose myself in the competition.”
The 26-year-old also credited the team’s ability to block out distractions and maintain urgency, particularly after acknowledging their lack of focus in Game 3.
“We were a little bit too laxidasical and comfortable… and I think we got beat the way we did because of that,” he said. “That was a good wake-up call.”
He described playing the “road villain” role as “super fun,” noting the added intensity of performing in front of a hostile crowd.
Gilgeous-Alexander also reflected on matching up with his cousin, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, who scored 23 points off the bench for Minnesota.
“Being out there on this stage, going against each other for what felt like half the game tonight, was super fun,” he said. “Stuff we’ve dreamt about for our whole lives.”
With a chance to clinch the franchise’s first NBA Finals berth since 2012, Oklahoma City returns home for Game 5 on Wednesday, where they are 7-1 this postseason.
“We have to want it more than them,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “We have to focus on the things that are going to help us win the game and understand the mindset of our opponent.”
